DeFunc Home wireless audio systems
Wireless audio is gaining popularity, confidently pushing classic stereo systems out of modern homes. Of course, it is premature to talk about the death of the classic component stereo - enthusiasts remain true to the canons, but if we take into account the mass segment, we can state that music has gone to cloud services and is played in most cases through headphones or compact wireless speakers. Exactly the ones offered by the Swedish company DeFunc in the Home series.
The name of the Swedish company DeFunc is made up of two words - design (De) and functionality (Func). The company started with the development and production of TWS headphones, and now introduced the Home series of wireless audio systems. As the name implies, the series includes models designed for permanent indoor installation. As a result, the main channel for broadcasting content is Wi-Fi.
DeFunc's Home series of wireless audio systems include two models whose unpretentious names clearly distinguish them - Large and Small. The case of first has a diameter of 30 cm, the second - 20 cm. These are wireless active speaker systems made in a two-way configuration. Both models feature the same 19mm soft dome tweeters. The drivers serving the mid-range and low-frequency range differ in size - Large is equipped with a speaker with a polypropylene cone with a diameter of 178 mm on a rubber suspension, and a small driver with a diameter of 102 mm is installed in Small.
Amplifiers built into audio systems also differ in power. The DeFunc Home Large has a 100 watt amplifier, while the smaller model is content with 40 watts. And, finally, the models are equipped with external power supplies of different power - the Large model comes with a 100-watt power supply, and the power unit for the Small speaker is 40 watts.
Otherwise, the models are identical and offer the same network functionality. Wi-Fi is used to integrate DeFunc Home audio systems into a home computer network. The initial connection to the network is carried out through a proprietary application for mobile gadgets DeFunc App and does not cause any difficulties. By the way, we note the attention of the Swedish manufacturer to the little things - everything from packaging to the application interface is carefully thought out and executed at the highest level. In this regard, DeFunc products are reminiscent of the products of the California "apple" company, considered the standard of ergonomics and quality.
Through the same application, you can control all DeFunc Home audio systems installed in different rooms of your house - for example, navigate through the music libraries of streaming services and assign certain content to different speakers. Support for TWS (True Wireless Stereo) technology allows you to connect two DeFunc Home audio systems to work together through the application and get a full-fledged stereo system in the right room. There is also the possibility of live broadcasting content from mobile gadgets - for this, the audio systems support Bluetooth and Airplay 2. For those who like to chat with smart electronics, DeFunc Home has the Amazon Alexa voice assistant in its arsenal of skills.
The only cable going to the DeFunc Home speakers will be the cable between the power supply and the audio system. Its length is three meters, which provides a wide field for maneuvering when installing acoustics. And the manufacturer has provided a lot of options for installing audio systems. Comes with a compact metal stand for mounting the speaker on a table or shelf. As options, you can purchase a whole range of stands and suspensions - a floor stand with the ability to adjust the height, which can be used as an alternative desktop stand with a round base, as well as brackets for mounting the speaker on a flat wall and in a corner. All fasteners allow masking the supply cable.
Returning to the attention to detail mentioned above, it is necessary to note the possibility of customizing the design of DeFunc Home audio systems. Both models are available in two finishes - black with gold accents and white with chrome details. In addition, the manufacturer offers the so-called Design Kit as options for each of the models - eight options for removable protective grills of various colors, complete with special covers for the power cable of the corresponding color. Given that the grill completely covers the front panel of the speaker, you can either make the audio systems as inconspicuous as possible in the interior, or vice versa - revive the design of the room with bright accents using DeFunc Home. Moreover, under the order, the manufacturer can produce grills with an arbitrary print according to your order.
DeFunc Home Large and DeFunc Home Small wireless audio systems were tested in an acoustically prepared showroom of DeFunc's distributor in Russia, DIGIS. The floor area was about 40 square meters. The speakers were auditioned both solo and as part of a stereo pair. In the first case, the audio systems were installed on the table, in the second - on racks for shelf speakers. Management was carried out through the proprietary application DeFunc App installed on a Samsung A52 smartphone. The test tracks were played from the TIDAL streaming service.
Despite the confident filling of a fairly large hall with music by a monoblock audio system, a pair of DeFunc Home speakers paired to work in stereo pair mode is required to form a surround sound canvas with a clear arrangement of sound sources on the stage. And if two small DeFunc Home Small organically takes their place on a desk or chest of drawers in a small cozy office, then a pair of older DeFunc Home Large on branded racks is quite capable of replacing a mid-range Hi-Fi stereo system. On the one hand, in this case you will lose the opportunity to listen to your favorite vinyl record or CD, and on the other hand, the price of such a replacement will most likely be significantly less than the total cost of component Hi-Fi. In addition, if you have long preferred streaming music, the first argument will not matter much.
Type - wireless audio system | Name – DeFunc Home Large | Price, rubles - 34 990 | Built-in amplifier power, W - 100 | Number of bands - 2 (HF - 1 x 19 mm, soft dome; MF / LF - 1 x 178 mm, polypropylene cone with rubber suspension) | Acoustic design - phase inverter | Frequency range, Hz - 30 - 20,000 | Wireless interfaces - Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 | Inputs - 3.5mm analog mini jack | Additionally - support for TWS (True Wireless Stereo), Airplay 2, app control, support for streaming services Amazon Music / Apple Music / Deezer / iHeartRadio / Napster / Qobuz / Spotify / Tidal / TuneIn, support for Amazon Alexa voice assistant, alarm clock | Power of the external power supply, W - 144 | Audio system dimensions (W x H x D), cm - 30.0 x 30.0 x 15.0 | Weight (without power supply), kg - 3.7
Type - wireless audio system | Name – DeFunc Home Small | Price, rubles - 19 990 | Built-in amplifier power, W - 40 | Number of bands - 2 (HF - 1 x 19 mm, soft dome; MF / LF - 1 x 102 mm, polypropylene cone with rubber suspension) | Acoustic design - phase inverter | Frequency range, Hz - 50 - 20,000 | Wireless interfaces - Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 | Inputs - 3.5mm analog mini jack | Additionally - support for TWS (True Wireless Stereo), Airplay 2, app control, support for streaming services Amazon Music / Apple Music / Deezer / iHeartRadio / Napster / Qobuz / Spotify / Tidal / TuneIn, support for Amazon Alexa voice assistant, alarm clock | Power of the external power supply, W - 60 | Audio system dimensions (W x H x D), cm - 20.0 x 20.0 x 10.1 | Weight (without power supply), kg - 1.5
Pros : advanced network functionality, support for True Wireless Stereo technology, expressive sound, stylish design, affordable price
Cons: for Bluetooth wireless channel, there is no support for aptX and aptX HD codecs
The combination of modern networking capabilities and Hi-Fi sound quality is not uncommon in wireless audio systems. The Swedish company DeFunc, with its Home series of wireless acoustics, proves that such solutions can be affordable - and this is already a very rare combination of qualities. Strict Scandinavian design and an abundance of options for mounting and customizing speakers are a bonus here.